CREAM was rock’s first true “super group”. Combining the extraordinary talents of ERIC CLAPTON, GINGER BAKER and JACK BRUCE, this power trio became the template for many hard rock acts of the seventies. The band remains a huge influence on the genre even to this day. Powered by hits such as “Strange Brew” and “Sunshine of Your Love”, Cream’s second album, DISRAELI GEARS, moved the band beyond the blues into hard-driving, psychedelic pop. This was the album that not only broke the group in the Un

I have to agree with the other reviewers-this is the best video product on Cream up to date-perhaps my enjoyment was rooted in this being a totally new project that wasn’t rehashing the older Cream products.

It wasn’t the “Farewell Concert”, with it’s unbearable editing. Or “Fresh Live Cream”, with it’s sketchy origins, but including the amazing Revolution Club footage. Nor was it “Strange Brew”, leaving us fans wondering-are these guys ever going to get back together again?!

The “Classic Albums” dvd is simply worth watching for the NEW interviews alone, but we are awarded with additional solo performances as a bonus. Eric’s solo performances makes one wonder how these guys would sound in an acoustic setting. Fans of Jack may have heard him on piano performances before…but this may be a totally new experience for fans strictly of Cream. Ginger Baker is always a treat when he is talkin’ drums-it’s similar to what he did in the “Farewell Concerts” footage, but almost 40 years later.

The songs are discussed in good detail, & afterwards, you may approach this album differently in your listening experience. A particularly enjoyable selection was Peter Brown, Jack, & Eric’s recollection of “Sunshine of Your Love”. The interviews are all done at seperate locations w/ each individual- but Jack plays the classic riff on his stand up bass(again, a Cream acoustic set-is it out of the question?), Eric plays it on his guitar, while Brown recollects hearing the riff…. and began to write…”It’s Getting Near Dawn”……

Unfortunately, the “other” footage from the Revolution Club didn’t make this dvd-saving them for another Cream project? The black & white footage of “We’re Going Wrong” isn’t well shot, but it’s a nice showcase for a very young Ginger & Eric. Ginger is…well, Ginger-but Eric is quite animated here, which may surprise some people not familiar with his work in Cream. Jack isn’t too visible, but we do get a rare opportunity to see him play the Danelectro Long Horn.

Tom Dowd was missed on this particular project(as well as Felix Pappalardi)-RIP gentlemen. You can find some of Mr. Dowd’s recollections of Cream on the excellent dvd, “Tom Dowd & the Language of Music”.

Of all the video products out on Cream, this is by far the best. The music from this all-time classic album is 5+ stars. Once you view this, you get a whole new perspective on the album and its individual songs (much like other “Classic Album” series DVD’s). I now enjoy my CD of this landmark album that much more after listening to the story behind songs such as “We’re Going Wrong”, “World of Pain” and “SWLABR” (“she was like a bearded rainbow”). It was primarily the songs that were not as famous that amazed me on this program. Most of the primary players that were involved in the making of this album are fortunately still alive and on hand to discuss their memories (including the talented artist that created the famous album cover). Eric’s introduction to the “wah-wah” petal helped make “Tales of Brave Ulysses” a favorite back in 1967. It was also interesting to hear about some of their influential peers (Clapton mentions “The Loving Spoonful” as one). They have pulled together some great classic black & white and color footage on this DVD. The bonus track for “Tales of Brave Ulysses” is an incredible fully restored color vintage performance!

I’m sure most of the people who are reading this are familiar with the Classic Albums series. I knew what to expect before watching it but I was pleasantly suprised. The information on the history of Cream and how they progressed with Disraeli Gears in the studio was great. All of the major players (that were still alive) were interviewed. The footage that was available was amazing. The only piece that I hadn’t seen was of the song “We’re Going Wrong”. It was live and in black and white. The band was pretty intense. Bruce’s vocals were great as always, Baker was a colossus, but it was Clapton who really impressed me. He was playing like a madman and was looking intense. I recommend this DVD to any fan of Cream. It is a great companion DVD for anyone who bought the reunion show.